Government plans more powers for police staff

The Home Office has launched a consultation that says it wants chief officers to have the ability to bestow any police power on volunteers – outside a reserved list of nine.

See the list below/here.

The proposed powers which would be held exclusively by sworn constables are:

• Arrest.

• Stop and search.

• Power to act as a custody officer in the absence of a sergeant.

• Power to effect entry to property.

• Any power reserved to a police officer of a certain rank or position, e.g. appointment as a custody officer.

• All powers under counter-terrorism legislation.

• Requesting a warrant to intercept communications and acting as a covert human intelligence source under RIPA.

• Ability to use firearms or taser.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “Police officers across the country carry out a wide range of duties, keeping the public safe and ensuring justice for the most vulnerable members of society.

“We value the essential role they play, but they cannot do this on their own. I believe volunteers can do more, helping forces to create a flexible workforce, bring in new skills, and free up officers’ time to focus on the jobs only they can carry out.

“This government wants to encourage those with skills in particular demand, such as those with specialist IT or accountancy skills, to get involved and help the police to investigate cyber or financial crime, and help officers and staff fight crime more widely.

“This government is committed to finishing the job of police reform and we intend to legislate in the upcoming Policing and Criminal Justice Bill.”

Will Riches, Vice-Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, told PoliceOracle.com: “The Police Federation believes the public deserves a properly resourced, highly skilled and fairly remunerated workforce.

“This government’s proposal for a new tier of police volunteers, given new and as yet unspecified powers, sounds like a halfway house between paid, employed PCSOs and Specials.

“While we support any reform that will genuinely improve policing nationally, this proposal comes at a time when core officer numbers are being slashed and budgets cut everywhere.

“When police officers join the job, they recognise the duty they uphold and the responsibility they have. Most of all, they are professionals.”

He added: “The bottom line here is that however many volunteers are recruited, however keen and willing they may be, however many responsibilities are given to them, unpaid recruits cannot make up for sufficient, properly trained and resourced officers.

“Recruiting super-volunteers is no more a solution to the challenges of policing than a nurse putting a little plaster on a patient who is bleeding to death.”